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17 year old Katelynne Lawrence from Winnipeg, Manitoba is your new Miss Teenage Canada 2018!

Katelynne is as dedicated to the Performing Arts and her community, as she is to her academics. Kate has always loved singing and dancing, and began her performing arts journey at the early age of three! Kate performed her first professional role at eight years old, in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. She later landed a role in the American Girl movie Saige Paints the Sky. Kate believes that it is important to always try to make a positive contribution to the community, and has volunteered at numerous charitable events.

Katelynne plans to continue her training in the arts, modeling and academics. Katelynne believes that these skills are integral to achieving her goal of promoting mental health awareness, and in providing an understanding of the potential impact that bullying, and other factors, such as anxiety, can have on one’s mental health.

Emma Morrison’s Biography highlights her northern Ontario origins as it explains how she’s eager to “…explore new opportunities, that is how she found her love for the pageant industry. She entered her first pageant- Miss North Ontario Regional Canada- in 2017, and she was crowned that years’ Miss North Ontario.

Her crowning on Sunday night in Richmond Hill was exceptional; her mix of laughter and tears made it clear to all present that she really wasn’t expecting the honour, and it was beautiful, and wonderful, and overwhelming.

It all happened so fast. Samantha Pierre took her last walk to music with a voice-over track articulating her thoughts on her year. It was very funny of course as Samantha is a real comedian, but sad too as she thanked her supporters and waved to her mom.

And then the final five reappeared,

Top Five Finalists waited in their evening gowns to learn their fates from Alice Li and Cynthia Menard, the hosts of the 2017 show who read the commands of the Judges contained in a paper envelope. One by one the finalists were let go until there was only two delegates remaining, Miana Lauren and Emma Morrison.

Miana Lauren is the 1st Runner-Up

Miana is a a grade twelve student from London, Ontario who had reigned as Miss Teenage Ontario 2017 since February. Emma Morrison comes from Northern Ontario Pageants and was only recently ‘discovered’ in that circuit. This beautiful person captured the respect and affection of all seven Judges and was crowned Miss Teenage Canada 2017 just a few moments after Miana Lauren was named First Runner-Up. Sophia DeCarle, in the green dress placed third.

For Emma Morrison,age 17 and everyone else on that stage, it was a long journey getting here. The path to the Nationals required entering and winning regional pageants. It required organizing and fundraising for pageant expenses and charity, and doing photo shoots and interviews. Contestants were judged in a preliminary pageant earlier in the week and a gala show the night before this, the grand finale.

Sophia DeCarle and Shiela Antoniette L. Montes backstage at the 2017 Miss Teenage Canada Preliminaries. Below is a well decorated delegate getting the most professional touch-ups from Jennifer Turner of Modern Make-Up mobile event makeup which does all the hair and make-up for all the delegates each year.

And there was so much practice, practice, practice – Shiela Antoniette L. Montes

Filled with photo shoots while making new and possibly life long friendships.

Adanna Taylor – in the chair at Modern MakeUp And dance. There was so much preparation for this final show. Every musical number had to be learned to make a cohesive presentation on stage Sunday night.

Learning our famous choreographer’s dance creations is no easy task. What the delegates didn’t know is that the dance pieces get harder and more complex every year. Like a product engineer designing a complex piece of machinery with many moving parts, so to does our dance choreographer move sixty delegates around the stage to show them off in the most visually striking manner possible.

Toronto dance choreographer Shawn Cuffie is not content to simply have the same dance pieces reenacted by-the-numbers each summer; this artist is growing and improving his work all the time. He’s especially creative when his vision needs to adapt to new stage layouts, new songs and visual themes. And new dancers. This last ingredient is the most important element because without some naturally talented people in the mix, the whole number will fall flat.

The venue had to be prepared

And let’s consider all the people who worked hard behind the scenes to make the night possible. Technicians like Merve from Music 21 who does all the lights and backdrops. He even makes sure the red carpet out-front is spotless.

Delegates dined on delicious snacks.

Below are the ‘Vegetable Overload’ type MTC2017 Supermodel Survival Packs that were made and donated by grocery sponsors to feed the girls during their long hours of dance practice. The stickers were printed by Sign Source Solution in Vaughan and applied to the plastic vessels as they were filled with fresh produce.

Super Model Survival Packs are sponsored meals donated by Amico’s Pizza and Urban Fresh Produce and Liberty Organic Market in downtown Toronto. Three dozen or more had eggs and cheese and pita bread with grapes. Together the two packs could replace a meal. The delegates devoured a couple hundred of these packs while practicing for the final dances and they took whatever was left to munch on later in their rooms at night.

Dance practice happened all week long in the hotel ballroom, with new steps and sometimes whole new numbers being learned everyday. Dress Rehearsal happened at the Richmond Hill Centre for Performing Arts all day Sunday the 14th of August, and right up until the curtain dropped at 8pm.

At seven o’clock that evening, the family and friends of the delegates began appearing outside and in the foyer of the building. Below is Marina’s older sister who got close enough to share the photo with Joanna Szene, Miss Ontario World 2017 whose sash and crown makes her very welcome at these events.

The Judges, Damien Chen , and Mauren Fenn were caught completely off guard by this author’s camera as they met in the foyer.

And here’s Dahlia DeSouza from UptotheTime Watches who has an incredible sense of style and great presence in any assembly of fashionable women. She was honoured to lend her critical eye as Judge at the proceedings.

The evening started at 7:30 pm with a meet and greet and general kibitzing. Then as parents started becoming aware of the Judges, they were sequestered. Ryan Weswaldi led the pack away from the prying pr agents, gown suppliers, helicopter parents and any people who may have some stake in the game.

Beauty pageants are similar to Survivor -style reality game shows. The contestants are narrowed down to the Top Twenty Finalists right at the start of the evening (playing all the two minute video biographies took almost a half an hour) and then more were let go and more and more and more until there were only five delegates remaining.

And we all know how it turned out – Congratulations Emma Morris0n!

Below is the DeCarle family after the show – Sophia is the oldest of four sisters.

Jennifer Turner with Adanna Taylor below – Jenn did all the delegates’ hair and make up and so of course bonded with the ladies. She gets emotional too and does her own makeup after each goodbye and before the next delegate appears and there are more final photos

The Miss Teenage Canada pageant is an emotional roller coaster to be sure; it has its ups and downs and moves slow at times and then really fast in other instances. The heights are dizzying and the memories intense, but there are painful moments too. All things considered though, for young women seeking experience in dance, fashion and the performing arts, its a pretty amazing ride.

Thursday August 10th 2017 was a real hot day – 28 degrees. It was so hot in Toronto that day, the entire 2017 Search for Miss Teenage Canada congregation headed for Bluffer’s Beach in Scarborough to cool down. We drove past Brimley Beach and stayed the course to Bluffer’s Point which is at the base of Brimley Rd (to the east of the Marina).

This blazing hot quarter mile of sand offers a spectacular view of the Scarborough Bluffs! Its also has a shady park on it’s west side and overall the place was perfect for us because its so secluded and not as crowded as other big city waterfront attractions. See below, Cynthia Menard, 2017 Miss World Canada at Bluffer’s Beach Park wearing a sponsor’s suit and selecting others for her travel-beach wardrobe.

We brought the crowd. As soon as we arrived, everyone was pointing and looking at our assembly in our white silk sashes and crowns. Throughout the day we had strangers offer exotic gifts, and many young people approached to ask our delegates to pose for pictures. And that’s because WE ARE THE ATTRACTION! When we visit these Toronto tourist traps we bring along the crowd, and today we even brought along a couple of sponsors.

Danic Salajko from Bathing Belle Swimwear set up shop and a pop-up change tent under a nearby tree and dispensed beautiful designer pattern bathing suits to willing models as selected by Darren Lee, the camp photographer. His pictures are available; Darren Lee connects on Facebook.

Here are this author’s photos of the Bathing Belle swimwear line that was modeled that day in the best shady spot near the beach – just far enough along the shore so you cant see the police boat on left.

We encountered ice cream girl again, hanging with miss citrus melon swimsuit up near the rocks. Great backgrounds here again

Below is Grace Linitski, Miss Teen Alberta 2017 modeling Jolie Swimwear and you can see her latest creations on Instagram @JolieSwim

Snappy Towels offered up another sponsor challenge

Snappy Towels was there too. They offered up a ‘Beach Lifestyle Instagram Challenge @SnappyTowels and free towels for six ‘winning’ delegates that included the brand logo (either on the towel or the beach ball) in their shots on this massive social networking platform. The photo of Alexia Antonio at the top of this post is one of these that I found on Instagram afterwards.

Walking around we discovered these two sunbathers up on the rocks at the ‘Bluffer’s Point’ landmark. Both are wearing the sponsor’s swimwear, but only one had a Snappy Towel.

Dan Wood the CEO of the company was right behind me and quick to supply this delegate, any others who didn’t have a Snappy Towel to dry their hair or cushion their bodies on the beach.

Snappy Towels are not like any other swimming towel, shammy (chamois) or gym towel you’ve ever tried. This microfiber towel is strangely soft and feels nice on the skin. Its heavy and durable and the exterior edges have twelve snaps.

Here is Miss Teenage Victoria BC Lina modeling a green unit in the nature set near the rocks at Bluffer’s Point, opposite the beach.

Snappy Towels are made of a unique textured microfiber that feels similar to a Turkish towel, while possessing all the absorbency and quick-dry capabilities of microfiber fabrics. The edges have plastic snaps which makes the towel uniquely versatile as beach clothing apparel and the units look particularly clever when worn as capes.

The company also provided us with six or seven blue and pink vinyl beach balls and there were present at every photo set including Marlon’s movie making endeavours near the picnic table area. So the whole day was spent playing sports and helping sponsors while enjoying the hot sun at the beach.

When we got there the sand was so hot.. the ladies who took off their footwear had to hop along the path toward our picnic tables as the hot sand felt like it would burn your feet off. The gals playing volleyball really noticed it and wondered.. maybe that was why nobody else was playing? Below is Miss Teenage Quebec serving up a hot shot on the beach.

We made our main camp close to beach, on a trail near a wooden area where there were picnic tables. First thing we did was slaughter the watermelons.

As soon as we arrived we ate watermelon that was cut very efficiently by Miss Teenage Calgary 2017 – Thanks Cailyn.

The lunch that day was donated by Marcheleo’s Toronto grocery delivery service and consisted of many healthy sandwiches and salads, including many vegan and gluten free options. It didn’t last long. The meal was devoured minutes after arrival because it was delicious and we were all real hungry.

Two huge platters of fresh cut vegetables and dip, and a giant fruit tray filled with chopped fruit and berries accompanied the sandwiches. And four huge watermelons.

Wednesday August 9th 2017, our amazing assembly of Regional Delegates got all athletic in a half day team-building exercise. We went to the Vaughan Sportsplex, which is also called GTA Sportsplex and that’s their social media name too, @GTASportsPlex on all platforms.

Below is the current Miss Teenage Canada, Samantha Pierre looking a little mystified at the sudden announcement that she would be the referee of at least one activity. This was probably the first time the international fashion model had been asked to referee at a multi-sport tournament. That’s the annual Search for Miss Teenage Canada for you; it’s full of surprises.GTA Sportsplex – the entrance to this massive building, located at 8301 Keele St is in the back of the complex, and finding the small doorway in is a bit of a sport in itself. Once inside, we could see this massive hippodrome is a myriad of sport habitats including an archery tag arena, a hockey rink and two huge soccer fields, and more.

When we arrived, we were organized into six teams of approx nine players each. There were a few teams of ten but that didn’t matter as only six or seven players could be active on each team at any one time at each station; there would be, by necessity, a team rotation system which served to give all players a rest and still continue the games.

Below is Christi Woolard sorting the six teams into a proper tournament – this was Day Three remember, and the veteran pageant organizer was still reasonably fresh and energetic. She volunteered to organize the mini tournament. Thanks Christi.

As soon as we had everything sorted out, we played sports galore!

And that included Bubble Soccer. where players struggled to put the ball in the net in a game where every participant is a ball. Players soon learned to bump opponents away and then kick the soccer ball.

No we didn’t play bubble soccer wearing our silver crowns and sashes, that was just for the pictures.

The day was organized into a giant tournament and each of the six teams had their own names – there was Five Alive and Fearsome Four and Team Won and this author can’t remember them all… The Garbage Pail Gang? This team got their handle by standing in close proximity to an empty trash receptacle during the naming time; it was part of the exercise you see, to get creative with a team name.

The real soccer was fast and furious and the girls bonded in their teams!

Two teams of nine players each played real soccer, and then another pair of nine and so on and so forth . The hardest part of the exercise was remembering and recognizing your own teammates.

The soccer pitch was where the most thrilling goals were scored and the most injuries happened there too, of course. The soccer was the fastest, hardest sport we played at the complex, (and we probably won’t do soccer again next year).

Volleyball is much more relaxing, except it wasn’t. Not the way we played.

Can you see the sweat on the skin? We were really playing, like for real.

Smash. Score!

Each time there was break for refreshment before the squads rotated to the next activity.

And in these breaks the tournament totals were tallied. We drank mass water and ate fruit and other delicious snacks before setting off again.

Finally it was lunch.

And then it was time to go; and we took some photos to best remember the place.

At about 1:30 pm we gathered for the customary group photo that @GTASportsplex will put on Instagram eventually to mark another brilliant day of teen sports and ‘sorority’ team building

It has begun. The 2017 Search for Miss Teenage Canada got off to a great start with a party for fifty seven regional delegates hosted by sponsors in the ballroom of the Edward Village Hotel in Toronto Ontario.

The Opening Night party is a meet and greet for all delegates and presents highly favourable circumstances for friendly first-encounters. The room is filled with free stuff and fun ‘sharable moment’ attractions that were Instagram challenges. The crisper photos here are by Darren Lee

Sponsors included Hashtagio social media aggregator fetching pictures from Instagram all night. The system in the ballroom was set up to show the Instagram feed for #MTC2017. This was updated several times that night to show pictures from the V.I.P. Sponsor Party while the delegates were still at the event.

Just like last year, all the best shots are being collected and displayed on the website in a special Go Behind the Scenes via Instagram page. The unique service is co-sponsored by Standard Telecom business phone networks and all week long we are encouraged to use our cell phones and mobile devices to post our best moments using the #MTC2017 hashtag.

And there was plenty of Bling!

Dahlia Desouza from UptotheTime Watches was taking the time to meet and get to know the delegates as she accommodated sharable moments and dispensed a very generous sponsor package that included necklaces and printed cards offering motivational phrases and overall best wishes.

Chokers and bracelets from Super Adorbs

Super Adorbs jewellery and fashion accessories will accentuate any outfit no matter your style or occasion. Headquartered here in Toronto, the company sells online all across Canada; Superadorbs is built with feminine style for individual expression.

Super Adorbs jewellery gave out cute little gift bags. You can see what was in them in many of the sponsor party blogs done by the 2017 delegates.

Alice Li was there! For many event attendees this young lady is an inspiring figure and her personal achievements are nothing short of remarkable. Alice placed fourth in the 2017 Search for Miss World Canada pageant. Later Alice was was invited and accepted an offer from MTC-W to be one of the hosts of the 2017 Search for Miss Teenage Canada on Sunday August 13th, 2017.

Golden Glamour Goddesses drew a crowd of applicants looking for an edge.

Delegates were invited to select one of five instruments and record a musical performance on Instagram using the #MTCsongsolo hashtag. The prize for the video with the most likes at the end of the night ( or the week? TBD) will WIN a new cordless microphone!

Girls got shoes from Nine West

Our shoes from Nine West were on display only that first night. We were encouraged to try on the fancy footwear and get our individual shoe sizes recorded. We get the actual shoes later this week when the orders are sorted.

The cutest bags came from the Archer Dental booth and where staff were giving away dental supplies, Every girl got a satchel containing toothbrush and toothpaste to last them the week, and the gift served to remind the delegates the importance of maintaining a bright healthy smile this week and beyond.

Lily Liao was there thanking the delegates for doing such a great job blogging for StreetChic fashion magazine in Canada. The top ten ‘fashion bloggers’ will be invited to submit fashion articles directly to Streetchic (they will be given their own author usernames and pw logins) in exchanges for credits on HerStore.

The VIP Sponsor Party was a premier networking event ; at this function the delegates got rewards just for showing up.

The freebee frenzy with friends and food ended in cake

The fun came to an end around ten pm as everyone had lots to do in the morning, and of course a week full of fun had just begun.

Next stop on the way to #teenuniverse is a trip to the salon, Ikon Salon, that is. I’ve been going to this salon religiously since I moved to Toronto because these guys are amazing. The owner, Dom, really makes sure you’re taken care of and feel in a positive friendly environment. He does this most by hiring some of the coolest people from around the world. I love going in and learning Arminian from Lucia or practising French with Anna. It’s always such a fun time.

To top it off they have their own amazing line of products that they sell. Dom uses the best ingredients (list) I’ll be bringing these babies with me to #teenuniverse.
Thanks Ikon! Totally bringing these products with me around the world! Make sure to check them out here next time you’re in Toronto!

This past weekend I went back to my home town roots of Ottawa, Ontario where I was the MC for the Ottawa Parenta and Child Expo. This Expo was one that I had attended last year as Miss Teenage Ottawa and it is an honour to return back again. This time, I partnered up with *insert charity name here* and Hippo in the bathtub to bring the kids a fun day of games and prizes. Hippo in the Bathtub is a brand new indoor swimming pool lesson business started by local Ottawa woman, Natalya Kwiatkowski. Other features at the events, other then the adorable kids, were the beautiful princesses, paw patrol presentations, balloon animals and magic show by Ian Quick.

Do you want a build a snow man? C’mob let’s go and play!

I love returning to Ottawa for these amazing celebrations, especially during Canada’s 150th anniversary! The Parent and child expo never fails to disappoint kids and parents.
Time to relax and watch the show! Thomas was on next!

There were so many funny stories from the weekend, although my favourite one had to be kids in the pool. This year I added a game to my booth so kids could catch a magnetic fish with a magnetic fishing rod in a pool full of Easter eggs. If you caught a fish, you could take a prize. How ever some of the kids gave up and would stick their hand into the pool, grab the fish and stick it on the end of the rod. The best part was their look up for approval. Haha so cute!

There was this adorable girl, Jasmine, who didn’t want to leave my side the whole day. She kept dragging her mom back to my booth. So eventually I asked her if she would help me announce the next act.

This cutie made me a special card! Love it Thanks Jasmine!

Her and another little girl Ava, got on stage with me and when I asked them who was coming on next they yelled PAW PATROL! At the top of their lungs. It was so cute and it got all of the kids excited for the Paw Patrol characters, Marshal and Chase (who I now know everything about lol) to come out. Not so fun story – they line. Was 2.5 hours to see these paw patrols characters!!! I don’t remember any show from my childhood being that big of a deal. Can you think of any kids shows that were a massive success?

All in all it was another phenomenal weekend! Thanks a bunch to Hippo In The Bathtub for helping with the game and booth ❤️.

Wondering what to next as Miss Teenage Canada…. The possibilities are endless!

Wow, I never thought I would be blogging here. I still have moments where I ask myself if that all really happened. I had already written a blog post earlier this week, however all about the final night and something seemed off. Then I read a beautiful post by the amazing Miss Teenage South Central Ontario, Bella. She had written “To be successful, is to be happy. There is no materialistic reward that can define success, but rather if you are happy with what you are

Loved having this beauty stay with me after the provincial pageant. Bella, you will forever have a special place in my heart.

doing, you are successful.” What a beautifully spoken woman. I admire you so much Bella and I wish you all of the luck in the world with all future endeavours.

I agree, you see, that the greatest crown I won this past week were the friendships I made, the stories I heard and the memories that were created. So rather than tell you how I felt about winning (which of course bring to mind things like amazing, unbelievable, life changing etc.) I would much rather tell you about the true winning moments of the Miss Teenage Canada pageant.

Sunday we arrived, I was very early so I ended up playing “heads up” with some of the girls from Saskatchewan including. his game would later go on to be our pageant game that we played at breakfast, on the bus, when we were waiting in line, etc. As everyone arrived there were some great moments. One of the highlights was Lacy, Miss Teenage Brantford in laughing tears with the only explanation being that she ‘liked her mom.” Lacy, you bring so much energy and passion into a room the moment you walk in. Some of the girls were so mature, like Kara, Miss Teenage Eastern Manitoba. At only 14 years old this girl travelled across the country! At 14 years old I was still going through my “neon phase”. Some girls walked in and just commanded the whole room, like Ranielle Miss Teenage Scarborough. Girl, you have the best and sassiest walk I’ve ever seen!

Getting our room assignments was great! Michelle did an amazing job with pairing us up. Shout out my room mate Aneurin, Miss Teenage Saskatoon, for on our first night we started singing Breaking Free from High School Musical.

Getting to see all the behind the scenes of Nuvango was so cool! I loved getting to check out the production line for creating the clothes. Hannah, Miss Teenage Ontario , had an absolutely breathe taking moment as she spun in one of the skirts. And doing our own mini photoshoot with friends was just a blast.

Shopping at Square One was a blast! (I mean of course, it’s shopping!) Flashback to all of the girls getting asked out and asked for their numbers while eating delicious sushi in the food court. Some of the girls had some really great witty responses too!

Golfing had to have been one of my favourite moments at Bradlee Ryall Golfing . I personally was at the Royal Ontario Golf Club. There we got to do many things including #ChippingWithJohn, #PuttingWithMario and #DrivingWithIan. My favourite part was during our #DrivingWithIan when I took a huge swing and sent a huge grass chunk flying in to the air. Olivia, Miss Teenage Vancouver Island was my partner and the

Meeting Darrel Stitller of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

two of us were thrown into a fit of laughter. There were some great moments from that day, especially meeting some ex-Toronto Maple Leafs players. My Pepe (grandpa) is huge fan, so I made sure to get a picture with the Maple Leafs players, however being from Ottawa myself I made sure to yell “Go Sens Go!” as I walked away. Thanks so much to Mikaela, Miss Teenage Langley Township for taking pictures and making sure I #Don’tPullAJudy.

Another great experience came during our archery adventure at Archers Arena. I loved getting to tap into my inner Katniss… Although when it comes to a bow and arrow I think I take after Peeta more. Some of the girls were phenomenal like Megan, Miss Teenage South Central Alberta. Make sure to check out the activities video to see Megan and I showing off our cool archery moves… only took us 4 times to get that take. 😉

The bus rides were always a blast, whether it was singing at the top of our lungs to the radio, playing “heads up” or even learning a new language. Yes that’s right, little Yulia, Miss Teenage Saskatoon District taught me how to say Hi, How are you and good in Ukranian! (Privite, Yak Sprave and Dobre… yeah I don’t think I spelt those correctly, considering I’m not even using the right alphabet)

Getting ready for the shows and events with everyone was so great, as each delegate was so willing to help each other. I never understood previously when girls spoke about the idea of having “pageant sisters”. However after participating in a pageant myself, I totally get it. You go through crazy stressful and tense situations and learn to lean on each other, support each other and love each other. You learn crazy things about each other in such a short time and bond through funny, embarrassing, disappointing and amazing experiences. Or you try and hook them up with your brother 😉 (Jodyn, Miss Teenage Brandon)

So to all of the girls at the pageant; I wish to say a very special thank to you all for your individual beautiful personalities. I also wish to extend my hand and say that if there is ever anything I can do of you please do not hesitate to ask me. I truly hope we all stay in touch!

And with that my first blog post is done! More still to come, including Boyfriends Does My Make-Up Challenge courtesy of MAC Makeup.

Congratulations Samantha Pierre. The 2016 Search for Miss Teenage Canada came to its dramatic conclusion on Sunday July 24th in a packed house at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Exhibition Place Toronto as the Hosts, Ricardo Hoyos, and Delaney Holley a Canadian singer opened the envelope and announced that Samantha Pierre (Miss Teenage Ottawa 2016) had won the competition and would be the new national titleholder. The Judge’s votes were final, and Samantha had won, narrowly defeating Chloe, Miss Teen Alberta who will be this year’s first runner up.

Degrassi star Ricardo Hoyos and singer Delaney Holley did a great job hosting the 2016 live event.

At 10:30 pm, after all the Judges’ scores were tallied, Samantha Pierre clinched the title and received all the glory encapsulated in having the official crown and sash conferred upon her by last year’s titleholder. Samantha also won a ton of amazing prizes from sponsors totaling well over twelve thousand dollars worth of goods and services, trips, clothes and a hoard of make-up and jewelry. This is a big deal for her – she has one year to sprout and shine as a junior celebrity in the difficult Canadian media market.

Here are the top five delegates, Hanna, Chloe, Kathleen, Samantha and Precious.

Hanna, Chloe, Kathleen, Samantha, and– photo by Rob Campbell

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto roared with applause as Samantha’s new title was announced.

There were about four hundred people in the audience and everyone there was cheering for one or another of the fifty-four delegates in the show. Whenever that person appeared on stage they hollered their support. Delegates from faraway places who had no cheering section present on Sunday had to be content knowing that another five thousand people or more were watching the show online via Facebook Live Stream and cheering their city’s delegate or friend from their region. The entire production was also video recorded of course, and in time the show will be made available as high quality DVD or online download.

Its a fact this competition is the only national level talent search in the world where as many as sixty five competitors must keep a WordPress blog and write out their weekly adventures as regional titleholders and upload original photography of their own events. And they must raise money for charities and use their social media channels to promote their own and other charity events in their region.

The delegates who really shine in Toronto are the natural performers who have special abilities like playing piano, juggling, singing or doing stand-up comedy. The young lady that won the 2016 crown on Sunday night has many remarkable talents…

Miss Teenage Ottawa 2016, Samantha Pierre won the crown and sash because she was exceptional from the first moment she arrived in Toronto. She will be the new Miss Teenage Canada 2016 and represent Canada at international competitions.

Samantha Pierre is just eighteen years old; this is her first national competition. She has appeared on stage before, but as a singer and stand-up comedian at community events.

Her musical comedy number, a song & dance routine performed on the national stage on Sunday night went off without a hitch, and stood in sharp contrast to the fashion beauty parade that was otherwise being presented. In her comedy act, Sam wore giant Pikachu (a Pokemon character) slippers and a sports jersey and sang a funny song about not getting any sleep in a new apartment surrounded by colorful characters. It was a high quality musical – theatre style dance number and a very impressive soliloquy by any standard. By doing this she demonstrated her incredible talent and her powerful stage presence in a live spectacle that ensured all the Judges knew her name going forward.

Other notable performances included a song from Evangeline Miss Teenage Vancouver 2016, and a piano recital that was incredibly complex and yet performed perfectly by Rachel Butler, Miss Teenage North Calgary.

Judges are a diverse mixture of tastemakers from all across Canada.

Angeline MacDonald and Maureen Fen (Moe) – photo by Rob Campbell

Angeline McDonald is the owner of Bells & Bows Bridal Centre in Alberta. She’s an accomplished businesswoman and premier supplier of pageant, graduation and bridal gowns. She has been in the bridal industry for over 20 years and has been judging this competition for ten.

Maureen Fenn (Moe) was at one time the Executive Director of the largest modeling and acting academy in North America.

Bradlee Ryall and Rudy Blair are Athletic and Entertainment Professionals in Toronto

Rudy Blair is a local celebrity radio host, TV actor and well known public speaker, he’s been ‘on air’ for almost 30 years.

Twenty-three of those years were with 680News as the Music & Entertainment Reporter and during that time he interviewed some of the biggest artists in music, including Beyonce, Jay Z, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Lorde, Gordon Lightfoot, Tony Bennett and Tim McGraw and covered major events, such as The Grammys, Junos, Much Music Video Awards, The Canadian Screen Award and Canada’s Walk Of Fame. Rudy has been honoured with sixteen Radio-Television News Directors Association National and Regional Awards.

Anna Golja is a Canadian actress who most recently starred in a feature film called “Full Out”, an inspirational sports drama that aired on NBC, Family Channel and is now on Netflix . She’s currently staring as Zoe Rivas in the Emmy nominated drama, Degrassi which airs on MTV Canada and TeenNick.

Judges at 2016 Search for Miss Teenage Canada, Photo Rob Campbell

Taveeta Szymanowicz is a young commercial artist from Toronto, who began dancing at the age of six and has trained intensively in a variety of styles. Like all the Judges she has a large social media following and you can find her @TAVEETA_ on Twitter.

Julia Tomasone is an actress and singer who landed her breakthrough role as “Bianca Blackwell” in the Disney Channel series Backstage.

Kyal Legend is best known for her portrayal of “Julie Maslany” in the series ‘Backstage’ now airing on Family Channel. She’s a talented actress, dancer,and singer who has toured with Nellly Furtado. When she was a teenager, Kyal trained at The National Ballet of Canada and attended the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater school in New York City. On Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook she’s found at @kyallegend.

These nine Judges had a very difficult job to be sure. Even though the fifty four competitors were reduced to a Top 20 grouping at the start of the night, they still had a lot of options to weigh before selecting Samantha who shone so bright from start to finish.

Afterwards there was a photography free-for-all in the lobby of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto.

Ricardo had a blast to be sure, and he must have drove the PR people crazy as he let the meter run on the cab outside, sticking around in the lobby of the theatre posing for pictures with each of the top five delegates, their families and friends.

So let us all congratulate Samantha Pierre again, and maybe set a Google Alert on her name to get updates on her quest for an international crown in August.

One thing is certain; Samantha has her own style, and will stand out wherever she exhibits her personality and powerful stage presence.

17 year old Katelynne Lawrence from Winnipeg, Manitoba is your new Miss Teenage Canada 2018!

Katelynne is as dedicated to the Performing Arts and her community, as she is to her academics. Kate has always loved singing and dancing, and began her performing arts journey at the early age of three! Kate performed her first professional role at eight years old, in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. She later landed a role in the American Girl movie Saige Paints the Sky. Kate believes that it is important to always try to make a positive contribution to the community, and has volunteered at numerous charitable events.

Katelynne plans to continue her training in the arts, modeling and academics. Katelynne believes that these skills are integral to achieving her goal of promoting mental health awareness, and in providing an understanding of the potential impact that bullying, and other factors, such as anxiety, can have on one’s mental health.

Congratulations Samantha Pierre. The 2016 Search for Miss Teenage Canada came to its dramatic conclusion on Sunday July 24th in a packed house at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Exhibition Place Toronto as the Hosts, Ricardo Hoyos, and Delaney Holley a Canadian singer opened the envelope and announced that Samantha Pierre (Miss Teenage Ottawa 2016) had won the competition and would be the new national titleholder. The Judge’s votes were final, and Samantha had won, narrowly defeating Chloe, Miss Teen Alberta who will be this year’s first runner up.

Degrassi star Ricardo Hoyos and singer Delaney Holley did a great job hosting the 2016 live event.

At 10:30 pm, after all the Judges’ scores were tallied, Samantha Pierre clinched the title and received all the glory encapsulated in having the official crown and sash conferred upon her by last year’s titleholder. Samantha also won a ton of amazing prizes from sponsors totaling well over twelve thousand dollars worth of goods and services, trips, clothes and a hoard of make-up and jewelry. This is a big deal for her – she has one year to sprout and shine as a junior celebrity in the difficult Canadian media market.

Here are the top five delegates, Hanna, Chloe, Kathleen, Samantha and Precious.

Hanna, Chloe, Kathleen, Samantha, and– photo by Rob Campbell

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto roared with applause as Samantha’s new title was announced.

There were about four hundred people in the audience and everyone there was cheering for one or another of the fifty-four delegates in the show. Whenever that person appeared on stage they hollered their support. Delegates from faraway places who had no cheering section present on Sunday had to be content knowing that another five thousand people or more were watching the show online via Facebook Live Stream and cheering their city’s delegate or friend from their region. The entire production was also video recorded of course, and in time the show will be made available as high quality DVD or online download.

Its a fact this competition is the only national level talent search in the world where as many as sixty five competitors must keep a WordPress blog and write out their weekly adventures as regional titleholders and upload original photography of their own events. And they must raise money for charities and use their social media channels to promote their own and other charity events in their region.

The delegates who really shine in Toronto are the natural performers who have special abilities like playing piano, juggling, singing or doing stand-up comedy. The young lady that won the 2016 crown on Sunday night has many remarkable talents…

Miss Teenage Ottawa 2016, Samantha Pierre won the crown and sash because she was exceptional from the first moment she arrived in Toronto. She will be the new Miss Teenage Canada 2016 and represent Canada at international competitions.

Samantha Pierre is just eighteen years old; this is her first national competition. She has appeared on stage before, but as a singer and stand-up comedian at community events.

Her musical comedy number, a song & dance routine performed on the national stage on Sunday night went off without a hitch, and stood in sharp contrast to the fashion beauty parade that was otherwise being presented. In her comedy act, Sam wore giant Pikachu (a Pokemon character) slippers and a sports jersey and sang a funny song about not getting any sleep in a new apartment surrounded by colorful characters. It was a high quality musical – theatre style dance number and a very impressive soliloquy by any standard. By doing this she demonstrated her incredible talent and her powerful stage presence in a live spectacle that ensured all the Judges knew her name going forward.

Other notable performances included a song from Evangeline Miss Teenage Vancouver 2016, and a piano recital that was incredibly complex and yet performed perfectly by Rachel Butler, Miss Teenage North Calgary.

Judges are a diverse mixture of tastemakers from all across Canada.

Angeline MacDonald and Maureen Fen (Moe) – photo by Rob Campbell

Angeline McDonald is the owner of Bells & Bows Bridal Centre in Alberta. She’s an accomplished businesswoman and premier supplier of pageant, graduation and bridal gowns. She has been in the bridal industry for over 20 years and has been judging this competition for ten.

Maureen Fenn (Moe) was at one time the Executive Director of the largest modeling and acting academy in North America.

Bradlee Ryall and Rudy Blair are Athletic and Entertainment Professionals in Toronto

Rudy Blair is a local celebrity radio host, TV actor and well known public speaker, he’s been ‘on air’ for almost 30 years.

Twenty-three of those years were with 680News as the Music & Entertainment Reporter and during that time he interviewed some of the biggest artists in music, including Beyonce, Jay Z, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Lorde, Gordon Lightfoot, Tony Bennett and Tim McGraw and covered major events, such as The Grammys, Junos, Much Music Video Awards, The Canadian Screen Award and Canada’s Walk Of Fame. Rudy has been honoured with sixteen Radio-Television News Directors Association National and Regional Awards.

Anna Golja is a Canadian actress who most recently starred in a feature film called “Full Out”, an inspirational sports drama that aired on NBC, Family Channel and is now on Netflix . She’s currently staring as Zoe Rivas in the Emmy nominated drama, Degrassi which airs on MTV Canada and TeenNick.

Judges at 2016 Search for Miss Teenage Canada, Photo Rob Campbell

Taveeta Szymanowicz is a young commercial artist from Toronto, who began dancing at the age of six and has trained intensively in a variety of styles. Like all the Judges she has a large social media following and you can find her @TAVEETA_ on Twitter.

Julia Tomasone is an actress and singer who landed her breakthrough role as “Bianca Blackwell” in the Disney Channel series Backstage.

Kyal Legend is best known for her portrayal of “Julie Maslany” in the series ‘Backstage’ now airing on Family Channel. She’s a talented actress, dancer,and singer who has toured with Nellly Furtado. When she was a teenager, Kyal trained at The National Ballet of Canada and attended the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater school in New York City. On Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook she’s found at @kyallegend.

These nine Judges had a very difficult job to be sure. Even though the fifty four competitors were reduced to a Top 20 grouping at the start of the night, they still had a lot of options to weigh before selecting Samantha who shone so bright from start to finish.

Afterwards there was a photography free-for-all in the lobby of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto.

Ricardo had a blast to be sure, and he must have drove the PR people crazy as he let the meter run on the cab outside, sticking around in the lobby of the theatre posing for pictures with each of the top five delegates, their families and friends.

So let us all congratulate Samantha Pierre again, and maybe set a Google Alert on her name to get updates on her quest for an international crown in August.

One thing is certain; Samantha has her own style, and will stand out wherever she exhibits her personality and powerful stage presence.

Luke BilykLuke Bilyk is well established in his field of film & television. He has a passion for acting, which began at the early age of five. Born November 10, 1994 in North York, Ontario Luke is a Canadian Actor best known for his role as Drew Torres on the Award winning hit TV show Degrassi (The Next Generation). Luke began in season 10 filming 5 incredible seasons (2010-2014) 2015 Lost Girl Series lead actor as Mark on the Emmy-Award winning Prime Time series, Lost Girl Season’s 4 & 5. Adam’s Testiment Airing 2016 Role of Adam a fantasy thriller feature film playing a young musician whose life is turned upside down. Luke also enjoys being behind the scenes; credited on IMDB as co-producer on three short Films “Where Love Takes you” “Cycle of Broken Grace” “Little White Lines”. Luke’s ethic background is Italian, Ukrainian & German with a Jewish heritage going far back to his great-grandmother (Amanda Siegel). Luke is a BIG supporter of the World renowned organization “Free the Children” Luke has been to three 3rd world Countries India, Haiti & Nicaragua.. lending a helping hand along side his Degrassi co-stars in building schools, assisting in setting up a water filtration system in the poorest regions in the Country. Luke’s love for sports is how he fills his down time. He enjoys playing in a hockey league as well as being part of a soccer team, he is proficient on drums, has his gun licence (restricted & non restricted), Open Water Divers License, & motorcycle licence. Luke has been cast in an upcoming comedy TVSeries The Wonderful Wayneys (Family Channel) alongside 90210 Jason Priestley & Molly Ringwald, The breakfast Club. Luke cast as a series regular lead actor Adam Wayney. With 26 half-hour episodes to DHX Television for Spring 2016.The future is bright as Luke continues his passion for acting in Film & Television. Follow on Twitter @lukebilyk1

Delaney HolleyDelaney Holley is a twenty-four year from Renfrew, Ontario. As Miss Intercontinental Canada 2014, Delaney travelled to Germany to participate in the Miss Intercontinental pageant, among 73 nations. Delaney placed 4th runner up and received the Miss Congeniality 2014 Award. Delaney’s dream is to establish a platform to create positive change. She wants to achieve this through helping others to ensure influential messages are heard, both locally and globally. Delaney graduated from the University of Ottawa with an Honours degree in Communications and Minor in Arts Administration. Delaney loves to spend time with her family – making maple syrup, and following her musical passion through singing, songwriting and performing with her two sisters as ‘Holley.’ She strives to maintain a balance of professionalism, confidence and optimism, while focusing on a varied lifestyle that includes work, education, mental and physical wellbeing and volunteering. “To me beauty is happiness; it is a gesture, a smile, a kind word, and compassion. Beauty is not only something visual, but also something that can be felt.” Delaney is also model; was 1st runner up in Top Model Search Canada 2014 and is leaving for Milan this September to pursue her modeling career after being scouted at TMSC.

July 26th, 2014, Toronto Ontario, Francesca McFadden, 17, was crowned Miss Teenage Canada, 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Francesca is passionate about education and received the Academic Brilliance award at her high school with a 96% average. This September, she will be studying Medical Sciences at McGill University in Montreal and plans to become a surgeon. Francesca volunteered at Sunnybrook Hospital in the Reconstructive Surgery Department for a year and also raised over $2,200 dollars for Free the Children

Luke Bilyk is a Canadian Actor, Currently Best known for his role in Degrassi as Drew Torres-Started in Season 10, Luke has also starred in Numerous Film & Television to name a few~Dry Wiskey, Cartoon Gene (Pilot), Gooby The Movie, recurring role on Really Me & starred in Flashpoint-“TheWar Within”, Host- America’s Next Top Model Live 2012, Cast “Party With Degrassi” Mini Tour 5 cities in the USA and featured in 20+ TV Commercials.

Cynthia Loewen is currently studying Biological Sciences and French in the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Windsor. Having competed in pageantry since the age of 16, Cynthia holds the title of Miss Teenage South-Western Ontario 2010, and Miss Earth Ontario 2012. She placed first runner-up to Miss Earth Canada 2012, and placed second-runner up at the Miss Face of Beauty International pageant in Thailand in December of that year, while representing Canada. Having a strong background knowledge in biological conservation, Cynthia has founded and implemented a bilingual “Green Education” program in local schools. During her reign as Miss Earth Ontario, she attended over twenty appearances, and became actively involved with organizations such as the Windsor-Essex Conservation Authority and WaterCan. Her current projects include, her role as President in the Omicron Nu Chapter of Delta Zeta International Sorority, and her involvement in a multitude of campus organizations.